The "Golden Years" series tells the legendary stars of football in the last century, and the anecdotes that happened in that era. Today is the 4th issue, I hope you will have more praise and advice
Foreword: Italy has missed the World Cup twice in a row, which is obviously unacceptable for the Blues, who have won four crowns. Looking back at the once glorious history of Italian football, the two consecutive World Cups of 1934 and 1938 undoubtedly established the status of Italian football. And one of the founders of that dynasty was the godfather of Apennine football - Victoriao Pozzo.
01
Vittorio Pozzo was born in Turin, the capital of Piedmont, in 1886. From a well-to-do family, he studied in France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, while studying advanced football concepts abroad. After returning home, Pozzo held several positions, not only as the manager of Pirelli, but also helped former Juventus president Tik to set up the Turin football club, and he was also a player in the team. In 1911, he became technical director of the Turin team and secretary general of the Turin Football Association. Thanks to his efforts, the Turin team gradually became a new force in Italian football.
In June 1912, during the Stockholm Olympic Games, the Italian Football Association issued a letter of appointment appointing the 26-year-old Pozzo as the head coach of the national team, and he became the youngest national team coach in the history of Italian football. Due to his poor record, he resigned after only 3 games in office. In 1914, World War I broke out, and Pozzo joined the army as a lieutenant. Life in the trenches has taught him a lot, especially in terms of motivating morale and team cohesion. This was reflected in his coaching style in the future.
At the 1924 Olympics, Pozzo once again took up the coaching whip of the national team. This time Italy was blocked by the Swiss team in the final four, and he once again left the job. After the death of his wife, he left Turin and moved to Milan to become the coach of AC Milan.
02
In 1929, Pozzo took office for the third time, and he made a drastic reform of the national team. Knowing people and making good use of them, he has insight into the characteristics of each team member, and integrates the advantages to form a highly effective collective. He once said: "Italy's football lags because Italians only think of football as a game, and football should never be just a game." ”
At the same time, Pozzo combined the characteristics of Italian football to form a tactical play of two centre-backs, with one player in the middle of the defenders and two interior strikers responsible for tearing through the opponent's defensive line, which was seen as a mixture of 2-3-5 and WM formations, becoming the founding father of Italian concrete defense.
At a time of domestic turmoil, Mussolini was aware of the enormous propaganda effects of sport, and his fascist government was anxious to build a successful soccer team. In this environment, the World Cup held on home in 1934 became Pozzo's first "big test". They have been on the road to the championship with many world powerhouses, with Italy beating Spain 1-0 in the quarter-final rematch. Defeated the mighty Austria in the semi-finals and ventured into the final. In the final, Italy relied on a goal in extra time to beat Czechoslovakia 2-1 to win the second World Cup. Pozzo enjoyed the joy of victory to the fullest, and he was also carried on the shoulders of the celebratory players. He began to write his own chapter in the history of Italian football!
03
Shrouded in fascist darkness, Pozzo did not compromise on management, and he did not allow others to interfere in the affairs of the team. The Blues he built won the China-Europe Cup and the Olympic football gold medal. In the 1938 World Cup in France, the ambitious Italian team went to France and embarked on the road to defend the title.
But anti-fascist slogans were all over the pitch, and Italian players were booed as soon as they took the ball. Add to that Mussolini's "Win or Die!" ”(Vincere o morire!) Telegram, the pressure on the team doubled, Pozzo knew that there was no way back, everyone firmly believed, and united in their will.
Facing Norway in the quarter-finals, Serie A all-time goalscorer Piola scored the winning goal in extra time to advance 2-1. Facing France in the final four, the Italians shrank their defence, Pozzo's tactics worked again, and Piola eliminated the hosts twice. In the semi-finals, Italy defeated brazil 2-1. In the final against Hungary, Pozzo's command was at ease. With two assists by Meazza and two goals from Piola, he defended his title 4-2. The Blue Legion is on the top! Pozzo became the only coach to date to win two World Cups.
04
If it were not for the outbreak of World War II, it is impossible to imagine how the Blue Legion under Pozzo could continue to create. In 1948, Pozzo stepped down from the national team. He led Italy to two World Cup titles, one Olympic title and two Ceus-European Cups.
In May 1949, after the Su peiga air crash, the old marshal rushed to the scene to identify the body. In the face of such a scene, The more than sixty-year-old Pozzo has mixed feelings, and the "Era of Great Turin", which was once known in football, came to an end, and the Blue Army with the Turin team as the team has since stepped down from the altar. In 1968, the Italian team, which had recovered for nearly two decades, finally won the European Championship on its own. The old man's wish was fulfilled, and he died peacefully a few months later.
In 1986, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the old man's birth, the Turin Stadium was renamed Vittorio Pozzo Municipal Stadium (in 2006 it was renamed the Olympic Stadium of Turin). In 2016, in his hometown of Pontrano, a museum in memory of Pozzo was opened.